The Loss of a Good Soldier
by everfaraway
Summary: Spoiler Warning.  Set after Dark of the Moon.  After the war in Chicago ends Lennox mourns the loss of Ironhide.  Lennox & family based.  Will/Epps friendship Will/Sarah Sam/Carly


The Loss of a Good Soldier

_**Author: This written for my new friend Colonelengle, who made an awsome vid for me on  
>utube. You can find it by searching "transformers citizen soldier lennox". I have not seen<br>Dark of the Moon yet but I have read the book to it, so I do know the story line. Set after it.  
>All characters belong to Hasbro, Micheal Bay &amp; whoever else owns them. I wish I owned Will.<strong>_

Lennox stood looking at what was left of Chicago and did a few quick calculations in his head. No matter how he added it up: almost a half dozen autobots, one of Epps' men, almost his entire group and countless civilians were far too many lost. He mourned for each of them in silence, the way a good soldier would. "Hey Will I got a phone that works if ya wanna call home." Epps called from behind him. The man knew him too well and he was grateful for it.

"Thank Rob." he said, patting him on the back.

"Don't know how long it'll work though." he admitted.

"Just as long as it works." Will told him.

"Sam told me about Ironhide... I'm sorry." Rob whispered. Will gave him a small nod as he dial his home number.

It rang twice before he heard, "Will!" The pleading desperate tone in his wife's voice cut into his heart.

"It's me Sarah." he assured.

"Oh thank God. I heard what happened in Chicago and oh God..." she said, before breaking into tears. Will turned his head to chew on the edge of his camo jacket collar. It was a bad habit of his and part of the reason why he constantly had something around his neck, be it a bandanna or a dog tag chain. Nearby Epps snickered at him, which made him glare at the other man.

"Will?" Sarah finally asked.

"I'm here." he mumbled.

"Are you chewing on something?" she teased.

"Yeah and Epps is laughing at me for it." he grumbled.

"You are such a puppy." she teased gently. He smiled briefly then the smile faded. "Will?" she whispered.

"We lost him Sarah." he whispered, sitting on a piece of rubble. The phone booth was leaning against the ground, upside down, beside him. How it was still working was beyond him.

"Who? The boy, Sam?" she asked.

"No he's fine. We lost... Ironhide." he told her, as a knot formed in his throat.

"Oh Will." she gasped. She knew how close he had been to the autobot that took the form of a GMC Topkick. He closed his eyes and bit deeply into his collar, chewing on it in earnest now.

"Who's on the phone mommy?" he heard Annabelle ask.

"It's daddy sweety." she whispered.

"I wanna talk." their little girl demanded.

"Annabelle." Sarah said sharply.

"Please please?" she pleaded.

"Will?" Sarah asked softly.

"I'll be okay to talk to her. Just tell her first." he whispered.

"Anna honey look at me." Sarah said.

"What wrong mommy? Is daddy okay?" their daughter asked.

"Daddy's fine but Ironhide isn't coming home." Sarah told her.

"Is he staying at daddy's work?" she asked.

"No honey he didn't make it." Sarah whispered.

"Ironhide's gone daddy?" Annabelle whimpered as she took the phone to talk to him.

"Yes baby... I'm sorry." Will whispered. As second later she burst out in tears. Rob looked at him and knew the look on his face, the look of a parent who was listening to their child cry but couldn't be there for them. There was a shuffling sound as Sarah took the phone back.

"I want Ironhide!" Anna wailed in the background. Will's stoney face cracked a little bit as a tear slid down his face.

"William?" Sarah asked.

"Yeah baby?" he asked.

"Did he die fighting?" she asked. She didn't know much about Ironhide, but she did know he was a warrior.

"If he could have, he would have." was all Will could say

"You'll tell me later?" she asked.

"Of course. Listen honey, call Rob's family and tell them he's okay. This phone is gonna go out soon." he told her, swallowing past the lump in his throat that had formed.

"I will and please Will be careful." she begged.

"I will Sarah, kiss Annabelle for me and tell her I'm sorry I... couldn't bring him home." he whimpered.

"I love you Will." she said.

He made a slightly choked sound in his throat and hung up the phone. Rob came over and set a rough hand on his shoulder. "He knows." was all his old friend said before he walked away to tell the others in the area to leave Will alone for a bit. The humans listened but Rob didn't bother to tell the autobots. Ratchet, Bumblebee, Sideswipe and Optimus came up to him as silently as they could. Brains and Wheelie were nearby, chattering quickly between themselves. Bee shooed them away and after a moment of protest, they left probably to go find Sam and Carly. Gingerly the yellow and black autobot reached out with one huge finger to wipe a tear from Lennox's face. He looked up, blinking to clear his vision.

"Ironhide was a brave soldier and he died the way he would have wanted, to allow others to carry on the fight for our home. His sacrifice was not in vain." Optimus said, kneeling to where he could get as close as possible to the human who had so bravely fought beside them. Bumblebee made a soft sound like a whimper as Sam and Carly came over. The pair reached up to touch and comfort the autobot. Rob came back over with a bandanna in hand and handed it to his former commanding officer. At this point Lennox didn't care how the bandanna had managed to stay semi-clean during the war but he wiped his face as clean as he could get it.

"So now what?" Sam asked, looking around at the ruins of the city.

"We go back to NEST, get everything sorted out there and then we go home." Lennox said.

"Just like nothing happened?" Carly demanded.

Lennox gave her a long look but didn't answer her. He wasn't in a mood to deal with a bad attitude.

Several days later Sarah stepped out of the house as a Peterbilt 379 pulled up to the house. It parked near the space Ironhide had occupied for a while; the same space neither she nor Annabelle could look at without tearing up. The door opened and Will hopped out, gunny sack over his shoulder. "Will!" she shouted as she ran out the door. Annabelle was a few steps behind her mother.

"My ladies." he said, hugging Sarah and scooping up Anna. Beside them the 18-wheeler rumbled softly. "Girls, this is Optimus Prime." he told them. They all moved back as Optimus left his terraform.

"I've come to offer my condolences over the loss of Ironhide." he said, crouching as close to them as he could. From her father's arms Annabelle reached up and touched him

"You protect my daddy, thank you." she said.

"You are welcome Sparkling." he whispered.

"Sparkling?" Sarah asked softly.

"It's what they call kids, probably what they were called as kids too." Will told her.

"You're husband is a brave man Sarah Lennox." Optimus said.

"I'm glad to have him and thank you.. for looking out for him." she said. Optimus said nothing but transformed back into his terraform, stared at the spot Ironhide had once occupied then drove away.

"How long are you home for?" Sarah asked.

"As long as I can be." he said, pulling her against his side as Annabelle wrapped her arms around his neck.


End file.
